The Chinese word **麦芽 (màiyá)**, meaning "malt," is a straightforward semantic compound formed by combining two meaningful characters: **麦 (mài)**, which means "wheat" or "grain," and **芽 (yá)**, which means "sprout" or "bud." The term is constructed through a modifier-head relationship, where **麦** specifies the type of plant, and **芽** indicates the specific part or stage of growth being referred to, thus literally translating to "wheat sprout." This direct and logical combination effectively creates a new, precise noun for the germinated grain used in brewing and food production, exemplifying a common method in Chinese for forming technical or specific vocabulary through transparent compounding.